Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani discussed ways to strengthen ties between Türkiye and Iraq, focusing on cooperation in combating terrorism and addressing regional issues.
Al-Sudani made an unannounced visit to Türkiye on Friday, where he was welcomed by Erdogan at the Vahdettin Mansion in Istanbul.
The two leaders talked about various aspects of their relationship, including water resources, energy collaboration, the Development Road project, and joint efforts to enhance border security and combat the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Al-Sudani’s visit comes after a meeting with Erdogan on September 25 during the UN General Assembly in New York.
The timing is crucial, following a terrorist attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in Ankara on October 23 and amid heightened tensions in the region due to increased Israeli military actions.
Diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Erdogan and Al-Sudani focused their discussions on boosting cooperation between Türkiye and Iraq to combat terrorism, especially targeting the PKK, which Türkiye considers a terrorist group and is banned in Iraq.
Additionally, sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Erdogan and Al-Sudani discussed Israel’s expansion of attacks from Gaza into Lebanon and Syria, stressing the risks to regional stability and the need for cooperation to achieve a ceasefire and prevent further escalation.
They also addressed efforts to normalize relations between Türkiye and Syria, with Baghdad playing a role in resuming talks and facilitating a meeting between Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which Ankara supports.
